Building a multilingual niche: code-choice and code-alternation at the Day of Multilingual Blogging

Abstract

Blogging for the purpose of language learning is often done separately from existing blogging practices, in specialized and usually monolingual language-learning blogs. The integration of target language blogging into existing online practices needs to take into account a potential bias against multilingual online practices, as well as complications due to considerations of audience. Using the Day of Multilingual Blogging (DMB), a yearly event that encourages bloggers to use a language not normally utilized for blogging for one day, as a case study, this paper illuminates how bloggers achieve the introduction of new languages into their (often monolingual) pre-existing blogs. While DMB has no specific language learning agenda, an analysis of multilingual practices during DMB illustrates its potential for helping learners to create or extend a multilingual niche (Erard, 2012), characterized as a context, (a) where multiple languages are used, (b) where multilingual practices are socially and materially rewarded, (c) where linguistic skills at any level have value, (c) and where language users can be ‘outsiders together’, which may benefit continued language practice. Participation in DMB will not automatically lead to the creation of a multilingual niche. Nonetheless, this case study illustrates important aspects of designing activities and events that support the development of such niches.

Keywords

• multilingual blogging
• code-switching
• non-formal settings